Somehow, when I looked through these photos, I felt some sort of loss...
I just can't break out of this dichotomy. Every picture, I'm wondering "Am I looking at two olde-timey gay men, or at a different era where personal space and our conceptions of sexuality haven't conspired to keep us at a distance?"The term “homosexuality” was in fact not coined until 1869, and before that time, the strict dichotomy between “gay” and “straight” did not yet exist. Attraction to, and sexual activity with other men was thought of as something you did, not something you were. It was a behavior — accepted by some cultures and considered sinful by others.
or some of each. the funny thing is the the guy in battle armor and guns just might be a couple.
It's interesting. In China there is an obvious difference in male and female intimacy. Both men and women are much more comfortable being physically close to each other. It is likely also because homosexuality is not something established in the mainstream consciousness.
Makes me wonder if the more strict, old-fashioned gender roles made this kind of male affection more prominent. You'd probably be less concerned about being perceived as effeminate or gay if your masculinity were already set in stone. There's a bit of alluding towards this with regards to soldiers:Serving is such an unquestionably manly thing, that homophobia dissipates; soldiers care less about one’s sexuality than whether the man can get the job done.